News Release

Friday, May 25, 2001

South Traffic Task Force to Stop Cruising Along Crenshaw Corridor

"South Traffic Task Force to Stop Cruising Along Crenshaw Corridor"

Los Angeles - The Los Angeles Police Department’s South Traffic Division will be coordinating an extensive anti-cruising task force, to control cruising along Crenshaw Boulevard on weekends. Cruising on Crenshaw Boulevard has been an ongoing problem for the past sixteen years. As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, along with associated warm weather, cruising on Crenshaw Boulevard goes into full swing.

In years past, the Crenshaw Corridor has experienced severe traffic congestion, blatant traffic violations, loitering and illegal parking that affects businesses in the area, from the Santa Monica Freeway to the north, to the City of Inglewood to the south. An associated factor which exacerbates crime along Crenshaw Boulevard is the presence of gangs that are attracted by the cruising. The presence of cruising has a definite negative effect on the quality of life for those persons who reside in or about the Crenshaw District. The Los Angeles Police Department in conjunction with local agencies will not allow cruising to go rampant during the summer months this year.

Officers from Southwest Area, 77th Street Area, Southeast Area, Harbor Area, Metropolitan Division and South Traffic Division will be enforcing traffic violations on Crenshaw Boulevard. Joining the LAPD task force will be traffic personnel from the California Highway Patrol, and the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. Liaison has also been established with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, Inglewood Police Department, the Department of Transportation, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and the traffic courts that will be handling the expected large volume of traffic citations.